Su Bai’s face was full of panic, but Ye Shu had already flung open the car door. Swift as a shadow, she scooped up the grenades scattered across the glass window and hurled them straight toward the distant caravan. "Here, take them back! Don’t be shy."
Su Bai twitched her lips. "..."
Just how far had Ye Shu’s player stats advanced? How could she possibly move so fast!? Despite her own agility rising to forty-three points, she hadn’t even glimpsed Ye Shu’s afterimage.
Well, nothing beat having a powerhouse for a sister.
Pang Pangzi, never one to flinch, had played several games with Ye Shu and held nothing but confidence in their boss.
The two people in the car froze for a moment, then quickly regained composure, playing it off like nothing had happened.
Out in the caravan, the men watched grenades arc through the air and failed to react—until, with a series of heavy thuds, the dark shapes landed all around their vehicles and atop their roofs. Panic finally erupted among the ranks.
"Is that even humanly possible?"
"Good lord, she’s insane!"
"Stop that crazy woman!"
"That’s all our supplies! If these cars get wrecked, we’ll never make it out of here."
Huang Cheng followed his subordinates’ panicked gazes, the cruel calculation in his eyes melting into disbelief and fear directed at Ye Shu. His body trembled visibly.
The next second—
BOOM—
A tidal roar split the air. Black smoke coiled up over the snowy wastes. Car panels shattered in all directions and several were too slow to avoid getting hurt. Huang Cheng, in particular, had his thick cotton coat blown open, fresh blood flowing ceaselessly down his chest, painting the snow like the bloom of some crimson flower.
Ye Shu gazed at the chaos with cold detachment. Her fair, calm face retained its genial smile, but her eyes were ice; to Huang Cheng’s men, she was a smiling devil, ruthless and unblinking.
"Show’s over. Time to clean up," she announced, swiftly climbing back into the car, her elegant and serene face briefly visible through the cracked window.
"Got it," Su Bai replied with a cheeky grin, still carrying that irreverent air.
"Goddess, we wouldn’t dare, not ever again!"
"Please, have mercy on us!"
"We’re just rookie players in this damned survival game! We’ll pay for our mistake, please, show us some mercy this once…"
Huang Cheng, losing blood fast and body temperature plummeting, could only kneel in the snow, weeping and begging for his life as his fate hung by a thread.
"Very well. I’m not a villain. Just show some sincerity," Su Bai replied, her gaze meaningful as it wandered over the caravan’s remaining supplies. The implication couldn’t be clearer—pay up and you’ll walk away.
"Of course, of course," came the quick reply.
Su Bai and Ye Shu proceeded to loot half the convoy’s supplies, the faces of the ravaged crew growing grim as iron.
To be robbed by your own prey—what humiliation!
They’d weathered countless rounds in this survival game, but never suffered such disgrace. If anyone survived, vengeance on that madwoman was the only thing on Huang Cheng’s mind.
"We sincerely thank you for this generous donation," Su Bai said, bowing with exaggerated politeness. "Were it not for you, we’d never have gotten so many free supplies—I was just worrying we didn’t have enough food."
Huang Cheng’s face shifted from green to black, rage threatening to spill over, yet he held back. Half the convoy’s supplies remained, but only because Ye Shu’s storage space was too small for more.
"Now that we’ve taken our share, are we free to leave?" Huang Cheng asked, half-helped up by his men, his body swaying with the effort.
The temperature had plummeted to minus twenty-six degrees. With his coat blasted open, it was a miracle he was even standing.
Su Bai flashed a sly smile. "Of course… not!"
"Those supplies are your apology. I never agreed to let you walk away. Besides, what’s with all this ‘we’re rookie players’ nonsense? Don’t think you can fool me, grandma didn’t raise an idiot…"
Huang Cheng realized then—they’d picked the wrong target this time. If only he’d known that sweet-faced bunny was black-hearted underneath, he’d never have tried to block their road. But it was too late. His hand, hidden in his ruined sleeve, gripped a yellow talisman tightly.
It was a mid-level explosive charm!
Its power was enough to level everything within ten miles.
He never would’ve wasted it, but with this madwoman wrecking everything, it was his only chip now. He’d take her down with him if it came to it.
"Little mouse, still can’t behave?"
Catching Huang Cheng’s furtive movement, Su Bai activated her paranormal ability. A pinpoint flame burst to life on the back of Huang Cheng’s hand.
The man’s frozen body finally lurched to action—he leapt up with a shriek.
In that instant, Su Bai snatched the talisman from his hand.
"Well, what’s this? An explosive charm? Mid-level too! Not bad, junior—you’re rolling in it."
"Pity, though, it won’t be much use now."
The talisman caught fire in Su Bai’s hand, reduced to ash in moments.
"Was the plan to take us all out? Honestly, I wasn’t planning to kill anyone. Tsk, a shame for your hard-working subordinates."
Su Bai’s light, teasing voice unsettled the whole group—they turned on themselves, fear twisting every face. No one wanted to die.
Bound by mutual gain, the players had formed a shaky alliance. Now that Huang Cheng was ready to drag them all down with him, none of them wanted any part of it.
"Sister, it was all Huang Cheng’s idea! We had nothing to do with it!"
"If we didn’t follow his orders, we’d be thrown out. You know how hard it is for rookies to survive in a game like this—we had no choice!"
"So if he dies, we live?"
Su Bai smiled but said nothing.
A few gunshots rang out.
The once-arrogant leader, who’d menaced Ye Shu only moments earlier, was cut down by his own men.
"Sister, we’ve done as you said, now will you let us go?" the trembling men chorused, fear naked in their eyes.
Su Bai cocked her head, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Did I ever say you’d be spared? I never promised anything. Let me give you another lesson—this is a cannibal’s game. Trust nobody, ever. Do you understand now?"
……
In the end, Huang Cheng was killed by his comrades.
And those traitors were swiftly dispatched by Su Bai.
Ye Shu watched this dark, theatrical sequence unfold—and did nothing to stop it.
Pang Pangzi, clutching Da Piaoliang, stared wide-eyed. He’d always known Su Bai was formidable, but he never imagined this seemingly silly, sister-obsessed girl was so cold-blooded—spinning everyone around her finger, and finally, cleaning up without a hint of mercy.
After ten rounds in the survival game, he still hadn’t learned a thing…
……
The three said nothing of the carnage behind them, pressing on toward Tibet.
Unluckily, temperatures kept dropping—and the sky began to spit snow, making the already-treacherous roads even harder. But at least their car still ran.
"It’s freezing me solid here."
"Why can’t our ‘Noah’s Ark’ just drive itself to us?"
Su Bai cursed, powerless save for these minor complaints.
By the deep of night,
The temperature had fallen to minus thirty.
Su Bai, who’d started the night by lowering the window every hour for fresh air, now didn’t dare crack it at all. The last time she tried, just for a breath, even her runny nose froze solid.